Despite the significant ecological impact generated by mega pig farms, the Granjas Carroll de México facilities, located in the state of Veracruz, have been exempt from inspections by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the federal authority responsible for environmental oversight.
Profepa indicated, in transparency report 33004424000868 of July 15, 2024, that no inspection visits have been carried out at Granjas Carroll plants in Veracruz. This information was provided by the Subprocuraduría de Inspección Industrial and the Environmental Protection Representation Office in Veracruz.
Also, in request 30024424000869 issued on July 11, 2024, Profepa reported that there are no complaints against the company Granjas Carroll de México S. de R.L. de C.V. in Veracruz.
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However, the Environmental Protection Representation Office in Puebla has carried out six inspection visits to the Granjas Carroll facilities in the municipalities of Cuyoaco and Oriental, in Puebla, between 2019 and 2022. These inspections covered issues of environmental impact, water discharges and hazardous waste management.
According to Conagua (National Water Commission), the Granjas Carroll de México company has 28 water concession titles: 18 for its facilities in the state of Puebla, distributed in the municipalities of Guadalupe Victoria, Libres, Tlachichuca, Oriental, Chalchicomula de Sesma, Tepeyahualco, Cuyoaco and San Salvador El Seco; and 10 in the state of Veracruz, five in the municipality of Jalacingo and five in the municipality of Perote.
The ecological impact of the Libres Oriental Basin
The Libres Oriental Basin is surrounded by some of the largest mountains in Mexico such as Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba), Nauhcampatépetl (Cofre de Perote) and Matlalcuéyatl (Malinche).
In its lower parts, there are beautiful axalapascos (crater-lakes) such as Aljojuca, Atexcac, Alchichica, Tecuitlapa and La Preciosa. The Libres Oriental Basin provides the water needed for agriculture, domestic consumption and various economic and daily activities.
According to the research “Territorial X-ray of Extractive and Industrial Projects in the Eastern Río Libres Basin”, published by the collective “Manos Unidas por una Cuenca Libre”, it is surprising that environmental authorities such as Profepa and Semarnat (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) have only recorded three environmental and health inspections in the mega pig farms in the region.
The Eastern Río Libres Basin was declared an environmental and health emergency zone in 2021 by the National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (CONAHCYT) and has been called “Environmental Hell”. The basin is one of the two areas with the greatest water overexploitation in the state, and despite this, it continues to attract industrial and energy projects, which aggravates the situation.
The research highlights the use of technology to manipulate water recharge cycles in the basin, using anti-hail cannons and airplanes to dissipate the rain.
This has intensified the water crisis in The region, which is classified as endorheic, that is, without access to the sea, so it depends exclusively on rain for its recharge, being of utmost importance for this the Malinche, Pico de Orizaba, Cofre de Perote, as well as the elevated part of the municipality of Libres that marks the entrance to the Sierra Nororiental de Puebla, generating greater water tension in the body of water.
On June 20, 2024, farmers from the town of Totalco, in the municipality of Perote, demonstrated against Granjas Carroll | Photo: Ricardo Martínez | Diario de Xalapa
In just four years, the Libres Oriental Basin rose from 35th to 25th place in water tension, evidencing the growing pressure on its resources.
For almost a decade, farmers, environmental organizations and academics have denounced the serious situation in the basin. However, industrial expansion continues, with little or no participation of local communities in decision-making, exacerbating social and environmental problems.
The report mentions the existence of species in danger due to the presence of industries in the basin, however, it highlights the case of the Alchichica Axolotl (Ambystoma Taylori), which has the unique characteristic of surviving in salt water and is found exclusively in the lake-like crater of Alchichica, an area that is being explored for its lithium potential.
What is the impact of mega-farms?
According to “Manos Unidas por una Cuenca Libre”, mega pig farms are one of the main sources of pollution in the Eastern Río Libres Basin (CRLO). These facilities generate thousands of tons of pig excrement daily, which are deposited in leaching ponds visible from Google Earth.
Each pig produces between three and five kilograms of excrement per day, which means a huge volume of waste. Although these lagoons are lined with tarps to prevent leaks, waste, including manure and drugs, is likely to leak into the aquifers. In addition, during the rainy season, some of these lagoons overflow, further polluting the environment.
The accumulation of waste in these mega-farms not only represents a serious environmental problem, but also a health risk. The surrounding areas suffer from foul odors and the proliferation of mosquitoes and bacteria, which seriously affects the health of the local population.
The combination of viruses present in pig and poultry farms, together with the human population, has raised concerns about the possible emergence of zoonotic diseases, as occurred with the H1N1 virus in Chichicuautla, in the municipality of Alchichica (Puebla). The constant exposure to drugs on farms could also be leading to the emergence of more resistant viruses.
Despite the seriousness of these problems, the group reports that the authorities have only carried out three inspections at the mega pig farms to assess the conditions of the leaching ponds. These inspections were motivated by citizen complaints and are currently closed.
Farmers await an audit
According to the report “Libres-Oriental, the industrialized basin fighting for water and rain”, published on August 8, 2024 by Causa Natura, the requests for information made by “Manos Unidas” to Semarnat and Conagua on inspections at the Granjas Carroll plants revealed the absence of records of said assessments.
This can be interpreted in two ways: either no inspections have been carried out, or government agencies are hiding this information. Both possibilities are worrying, given the ecological impact of the waste from the mega farms.
On June 20, 2024, farmers from the town of Totalco, in the municipality of Perote, demonstrated against Granjas Carroll, demanding an audit of the water wells in the Libres-Oriental Basin. To date, they have not received an official response from Conagua.
Source: diariodexalapa
